A rainy day
by xXastraXx
Summary: It's a cloudy day in London, but a glum day can't stop the dynamic duo from their investigation... or can it? (Drabble Luke/Layton father son relationship) (Cover art by GraniteFire on deviantart)


_I saw a cute piece of Layton fanart based on a rainy day that inspired me to try my hand at writing. I know that when I was a kid (and often still now that I'm older) I always had trouble waking up properly on cloudy days, and rain always put me to sleep… Unless I was out in the rain of course- then it was a haven of puddles to jump in and I was very hyper._

_…So that also inspired the circumstances of this lil' thing._

_I should emphasize this is a simple oneshot drabble- I didn't put thought into what the dynamic Layton duo was investigating and have no intention of continuing it to find out, so just enjoy the story at face length for its simplicity, 'kay? _

_Also to be noted: this is my first real attempt at uploading fanfiction I've written, so go easy on me with the judgment, all right?_

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Gray clouds had been brewing over the city of London all day, pondering darkly the thought of rain. From the early morning, when the professor had dragged Luke out of bed (a figure of speech that was _far _more literal than he'd have liked it to have been- a true gentleman never used bad weather as an excuse to sleep in), a fine mist had hung over the Thames, and the air was thick with moisture.

Layton had taken care to grab an umbrella before leading his still sleepy apprentice out the door. It was to be a glum day for the majority of London's citizens, no doubt, but it would provide the perfect atmosphere for their investigation. Bleak weather complemented a good mystery quite nicely, and it would be far easier for young Luke to concentrate on the puzzles that came with the day when there were less distractions about.

…Or so the professor had thought.

It turned out the distractions of a rainy day were far more debilitating to young Luke than those that came with the sun. Usually it was the sight of passerby with food, or a stray animal in an alleyway, that occasionally kept the boy from fully focusing on the puzzles thrown his way; on that day however it seemed that every puzzle was a mountain and every answer a tumble. Poor Luke had a lot of trouble staying awake- he couldn't go two minutes without stifling a yawn; the professor may have dragged the boy out of bed, but the lad's mind had apparently stayed behind. Normally simple riddles and numbers were something he sped through, but on that particular morning, Luke struggled to get his thoughts concise enough even for something as simple as helping the local newsstand get its papers in proper order.

"Gimme a minute." He'd insisted through yet another yawn, "I got this Professor."

And yet one minute had passed, then two, and all the boy did was simply stare at the scenario before him in a daze; the professor even began to consider taking pity and stepping in himself after watching for a prolonged period of time. Yet the decision was nulled before he could make it, by a strong gust of wind that blew the majority of what they'd been holding away down the street. He'd made chase, of course, as any good gentleman would have, but Luke had simply given the paper he'd managed to hang on to a sleepy smile, before informing the salesman, "Don't worry Sir-" another yawn, "-the comics are what most people buy 'em for anyways."

… Needless to say, sorting out that situation had ended up being as much of a puzzle as the puzzle itself.

Layton heaved a heavy sigh. He supposed that dwelling on the events of the morning wouldn't change them- much of it had proceeded in the same way after all- puzzles bungled left and right and misunderstandings galore. He'd handled everything calmly of course, but after Luke had managed to knock over a display at the market because he'd thought the apple in the back was the answer to a riddle they'd been given, the professor had admitted defeat and decided to call it a day. The duo now headed for home, no further in their investigation than they were yesterday. Another sigh.

He supposed everyone had an off day, and he certainly couldn't chastise the boy for that, but their lack of headway on information gathering was rather depressing… _"Even so,"_ He eventually concluded, smiling wryly to himself and shaking his head, _"At least it can't get very much worse than this…"_

He felt a raindrop hit his nose.

"_Ah, Murphy's Law." _The professor chastised himself for thinking too soon, "_Anything that can go wrong, will." _Perhaps the biggest puzzle of all lay in the mentality of making such a rule in the first place, but pondering such things wouldn't change the fact that it was, indeed, starting to rain. At the very least he could finally put the umbrella he'd been carrying all day to use- even if it was held more over the small form that plodded along ahead of him than himself. It wasn't so bad, really. His hat would keep him dry so long as it remained a soft drizzle, and it wouldn't be much farther until they got home and would be able to change.

There was a certain beauty to be found in the soft pattering of raindrops on the street- in the reflections that danced within the swiftly forming puddles- that one simply couldn't observe from within a vehicle or a house. People dashed by them, cursing colorfully (in words he would rather Luke not be exposed to, but such couldn't always be helped), as they headed towards- at least he presumed- their homes; yet gentlemen did not rush unless the situation was dire, and Layton couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for these people. They were in such a rush that they failed to look on the bright side- see the beauty even on a glum day.

"_…Speaking of glum…" _The professor's gaze traveled back towards Luke- what he could see of the boy under the umbrella he held in front of him, at least. His normally lively companion been rather quiet for a while now, which was unusual- even when he was sleepy. Was he perhaps not feeling well? Was there something on his mind? The professor lifted the umbrella slightly so he could get a better view, surprised to find that the boy refused to meet his gaze.

"Luke, my boy," He began, coming to a stop so the other would be forced to do the same, "Whatever could be wrong?" The older man crouched a bit so that they were on eye level, unabashed by the fact that the one to whom he spoke still stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. He offered a warm smile and a chuckle regardless. "Surely the weather isn't what's gotten you down?"

Luke fidgeted uncomfortably, oddly intent on his feet- an obvious indicator of a child feeling guilty. There was a long pause before he responded in a dull voice, "…No."

It was unbecoming for a gentleman to pout, but the professor deemed it a bad time to inform his companion of such. He simply tilted his head and waited patiently for the boy to continue, his inviting smile never faltering.

"…Remember how you let me borrow one of your puzzle books yesterday?" Luke remained focused on his twiddling fingers, though the professor still nodded out of politeness. He had a feeling he knew where this was going; there had been a dim light filtering from under the boy's door when he himself had gone to bed the night before, but he had trusted that Luke would still go to sleep at a reasonable time… If his apprentice's guilt ridden tone was anything to go by however, he'd been wrong to make such an assumption. Even so, it was impolite to discourage someone making a confession- he knew from personal experience how hard it could be, and how important it was to be honest.

"I didn't mean to stay up so late- " Luke insisted, now speaking much more quickly, "-But it was a really tough puzzle and by the time I had finished it the sun was starting to come up! I tried to go to sleep once I realized the time of course, but I swear the moment I closed my eyes you were nudging me awake, and I know it's my own fault I've been so tired today but… but…" His voice finally trailed off and he hesitated, putting an end to the apparent roll that he'd been on in his speech. The boy took a deep breath before continuing at a more level pace. "Because I've been so tired… I haven't managed to solve any puzzles today professor… So it's my fault that we didn't get any further in our investigation…" Another moment of silence fell between them, and finally, Luke raised his gaze to meet that of his mentor's.

"I'm really sorry for disappointing you, professor." He said softly.

Layton blinked slowly, shocked at such a sentiment coming from his apprentice. He had thought this was a simple confession of a dishonest late night, but this was more—there was genuine fear in Luke's eyes at the thought of disapproval from someone he admired. The professor was always aware of how much the boy looked up to him- it was why he strived to be such a good influence—but in constantly reminding Luke of his high standards as a gentleman, he'd inadvertently made someone he cared about afraid of him… And that was not something a gentleman should do.

"Luke," He began, choosing his words carefully, "You would have to do quite a bit more than that to ever disappoint me—you do realize that don't you?" He waited for those words to sink in, for the boy to tilt his head in confusion, before chuckling warmly and placing a hand on his head. "I have been doing my utmost to guide you on the path to being a gentleman, and you have done so well with learning that oftentimes I forget the fact that you are still young. Manners are important, of course, but so is the freedom to play and the experiences of simply being a child…" He lifted his hand away and shook his head apologetically, "If you feel that the occasional toe out of line, or making mistakes on a puzzle or two, would somehow lessen how highly I think of you, then perhaps I've failed you as a mentor."

"No, Professor!" Luke's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "You're amazing! I'm the one who-" He cut himself off when Layton held up a hand.

"You shouldn't have stayed up so late without permission, I don't deny that." The professor replied, "But you're not the first one to do so and you certainly won't be the last. As long as you've learned your lesson, I think you've already punished yourself enough over it and we can move on." He offered another reassuring smile, and was pleased when the boy finally returned the gesture.

"And remember Luke," He continued, rising to his feet and readjusting the umbrella, "No matter how many off days you have, you'll always be my apprentice number one." He put a hand to his hat and set off, pretending not to notice the emotions that flooded the boy's face. "Now, I daresay this rain has reminded me of a puzzle, would you care to hear it?"

"You bet Professor!"

"All right then." He was glad to hear vibrancy in his companion's voice once again. "I am a pool you cannot swim in, a mirror you cannot break—common in many places, but something you cannot take. What am I?"

For a long moment there was no reply. Luke marched ahead of the Professor, lost in thought as he took apart and analyzed the riddle. He kept looking around—no doubt trying to figure out how it was that the rain was connected to the puzzle… And then it'd clicked.

"A puddle!" He'd exclaimed proudly, jumping into the nearest one and splashing them both quite thoroughly. He immediately looked sheepish—particularly when Layton let out a hearty laugh. But embarrassment couldn't dim the radiant smile that blossomed when his mentor had informed him he'd been correct. His first puzzle of the day solved. Finally.

The familiar energetic spring finally seemed to be back in Luke's steps as they set off again, and the professor felt his heart swell a bit with pride at the sight. One puzzle no one would never entirely decipher was that of how to properly take care of a child, but Layton felt that he'd gotten one small step closer on that rainy afternoon.

Perhaps it'd been a good day after all.


End file.
